Good stuff. I like the fact that McCarthy was so intent on putting his team in the best position to accomplish the main objective, win the game, that he wasn't prepared to enjoy the postgame celebration. That's focus. Hopefully he'll get that chance again.

"C.J. Wilson started playing while Greg Jennings and a number of guys sang spiritual songs for a good 25 to 35 minutes. It was special and something I’ll never forget. That moment gave me a lot of confidence that the guys were dialed in and ready to play. I always look for stress points in our team’s behavior and that was a very confident moment. Dr. Elko had a great talk that evening and after that meeting broke, the players walked out and were measured for their Super Bowl rings. The players really enjoyed the opportunity to see what they were playing for, not to mention the timing of that message. Like all nights before games, Saturday night concluded with a team snack. I’ve never heard so much hooting and hollering; the camaraderie, energy and confidence were through the roof. Dr. Elko and I were talking that night about the week and the interaction he observed among the players. He was amazed and I very clearly remember him telling me, “Mike, you’ve already won this game.” It’s easy for me to say it now, because we won the game, 31-25, but I felt very confident Saturday night."

I think the character, chemistry and camaraderie on that team had a lot to do with their overall success. You could see in the player interviews throughout the season that they were confident and self-assured. Woodson's post-game speech after the NFCCG was incredible. The players looked like they were ready to play another game right away. That was a special team and a special season.